Hydraulic valve



A June 1, 1943. 1 c, BATEHOLTS 2,320,905

HYDRAULI C VALV E Filed July 12, 1941 l INVENTOR 3 n 1251 ma@ ATTORNEY v Patented June 1, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT] OFFICE HYDRAULIC vALvE Clinton Bateholts, Hoosick Falls, N.'Y., assignor' to Specialty Insulation Manufacturing Company, Inc., a corporation of New York Application July 12, 1941, Serial N0. 402,172

1 Claim.. (Cl. 251-78) This invention relates to valves, especially those of the type used in connection with the operation of hydraulic mechanisms such as presses and the like.

It is now common practice to control the operation of such mechanisms by means of water or other liquid through the medium of a valve having a port adapted to be connected to the mechanism to be operated, apport adapted to be connected to a source of water under low-pressure, a port adapted to be connected to a source of water under high-pressure, a port adapted to be connected to a discharge drain, and a movable piston or plunger adapted when in one position to establish communication between the low-pr'essure port and the mechanism operating port, when in another position to establish communication between the high-.pressure port and the mechanism operating port, and when in still another-position to establish communication between the mechanism operating port and the discharge port. In addition, such valves are usually provided with means for preventing leakage along the outer surface of the plunger from the path of communication established between any two given ports. Aside from the fact that such valves, as heretofore constructed, were extremely costly they were unsatisfactory in that the means for preventing leakage quickly wore out and had to be replaced, and this, in turn, involved considerable expense due to the construction of the valve. In addition, such valves, as heretofore constructed, were unsatisfactory in that the opl erator frequently became confused in the operation thereof with the result that the desired sequence of operation in establishing communication between the portI actuating mechanism and the low-pressure port, the high-pressure port and finally the discharge port was not attained.

In accordance with the present invention, the above noted, as well as other objections-are obviated insuch valves by providing a casting having a centralbore from which open in line, and in the order named, a discharge port, a mechanism actuating port, a low-pressure port and a high-pressure port. A tubular plunger, closed at both ends, is slidably vmounted in glands threaded into the casting at each end of the bore, and it is adaptedand arrange-:l to be reciprocated through the bore by means of an operating handle ,from one fixed station to another. The plunger is provided `with two sets of holes which 'are so positioned that when .the plunger is ocated at one of itsextreme positions in the bore they establish communication between the mechanism actuating port and the discharge port, and the other two ports areso spaced along the bore that when the plunger is moved to an intermediate positionQthe holes establish communication between the mechanism actuating port and the low-pressure port and when the plunger is moved to its other extreme position the holes establish communication between the mechanism actuatv cation established by the plunger between any be inexpensively replaced. To this end, the bore two ports, a compressible member is positioned on opposite sides of each port, and means are provided for maintaining these members com- .pressed about the plunger as it is reciprocated from one extreme position to the other through the bore. As -an important feature of the invention, the valve is so constructed that the means for maintaining these members compressed about the plunger may be easily removed therefrom so that when the members become worn they may is so formed that one of the central ports opens from an annular groove defined by wallswhich are formed as a part of the casting and which are of substantially the same diameter as the diameter of the plunger.- The bore, on opposite sides of "these walls, is enlarged, and the cornpressible members are held in place on opposite sides of each of the portsV by perforated annular spacers positioned in the bore about the plunger, and they are compressed about the plunger by y means ofthe glands through which the plunger slides and which are threaded into the casting at each end of thev bore. Thus, 'to remove and replace the members it is only necessary to remove the glands, the spacers and the compressible members, and then to reassemble the structure.

usinf -new compressible members where necessary.

For a more complete description of the invention reference may be made to the accompanying drawing.` In this drawing, however, the invention has been shown merely by way of example and in preferredform, and obviously many variations and modifications may be made therein which will still, be comprised within its spirit.

Int is to be understood, therefore, that the' inventionA isnot limited to any specific form or embodiment, except insofar as; such limitations are specied in the appended claim.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, in section, of a valve embodying the features of the present invention and showing the plunger in one of its extreme positions;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view, partly in section, showing the plunger in its intermediate position; and Figure 3 is a view along line 3-3 of Figure 2.

As shown in the drawing, the improved valve comprises a casting I having a longitudinal bore from which open in line, and in the order named, a dischargeport Il, a mechanism actuating port I2, a, low-pressure port I3 and a high-pressure port I4. A tubular plunger I5 closed at both ends, as by plugs I6, I 7, threaded therein, is slidably mounted in glands i8, I9, threaded into the casting I Il at each end of the longitudinal bore. The plunger I5 is provided with two sets of holes 2G, 2l and it is adapted and arranged to be reciprocated through the longitudinal bore from one extreme position to another by an operating handle 22 pivotally connected by a pin 23 at one of its ends to the plunger I5 and rotatably mounted intermediateits ends on a pin 24 journaled in the bifurcated end of a bracket 25 which may comprise a part of the casting IIJ. The bracket 25 is provided with three detents, 26, 27, 28, adapted to receive a spring pressed pin 29 on theV handle 2li and so spaced that when the pin 29 is engaged by one or the other of the end detents 2B, 28, the plunger I5 is located in one or the other of its two extreme positions in the bore and when the pin 29 is engaged by the middle detent 21, the plunger I5 is located in a desired intermediate position in the bore.

Those portions of the bore, 30, 3l, 32 and 33 from which open the discharge port I I, the mechanism actuating port I2, the low-pressure port I3, and the high-pressure port I4, respectively, are effectively sealed from one another along the outer surface of the plunger I5 in the manner subsequently to be described, but they are so dimensioned with respect to the distance between the two sets of holes 20, 2| through the wallslof the plunger I5 that when the plunger is in one of its extreme positions, as determined by the engagement of the pin 29 in an end detent 28, communication is established between the mechanism actuating port I2 and the discharge port I I, when the plunger I5 is in its intermediate position, as determined by the engagement of the pin 29 in the middle detent 21, communication is established between the mechanism actuating port I2 and the low pressure port I3, and finally when the plunger i5 is in its other extreme position, as determined by the engagement of the pin 23 in the other end detent 26, communication is established between the mechanism actuating port I2 and the high-pressure port I4. Under these conditions, therefore, it is only necessary for the operator to reciprocate the plunger I5 by means of the handle 22 from one extreme position to another and then back again to its starting position to establish communication between the actuating -mechanism port I2 and the lowthe low-,pressure port I3, and nally the discharge 'port I I and in the order named.

pressure port I 3, the high-pressure port I4, again are provided tor maintaining these members compressed about the plunger I5 and against the walls oi' the bore. To this end, that portion 32 of the bore from which the low-pressure portll opens is deilned by two iixed walls 3l, 35, which may be formed as a part of the casting and which are of substantially the same diameter as the diameter of the plunger I5.

At the inner end of the other three ports an annular spacer member 36, perforated to permit the passage of liquid therethrough, is positioned about the plunger I5. A pair of compressible members such as leather washers 31, 38, are positioned about the plunger I5 at each end of the spacer member- 36 at the inner end of the highpressure port I4, one being located in a housing formed in the gland I 8 and the other being lo cated in a housing formed in the casting I6 adjacent the wall 3B, and the arrangement of the parts is such that the washers 31, 38 may be compressed about the plunger I5 and against the walls of the bore to the degree of tightness necessary to prevent leakage along the outer surface of the plunger I 5 from the high-pressure port i4 and from one side oi the low-pressure port I3 as the plunger I5 is reciprocated from one of its extreme positions to the other. Adjacent that end of the spacer member 36, at the inner end of the mechanism actuating port I2, and next to the low-pressure port I3, a compressible washer 39 is positioned about the plunger I5. Next to the washer 39 a non-yielding spacing washer 6U is positioned about the plunger i5 and iinally a compressible washer il is positioned about the plunger I5 next to the washer 4B in a housing formed by the casting at the adjacent side of the low-pressure port I3. Between the other end of the spacer member at the inner end oi the mechanism actuating port I2 and the adjacent end of the spacer member at the inner end of the discharge port II, a compressible washer 42 is positioned about the plunger I5 between two nonyielding washers 43, M. And at the other end oi the spacer member at the inner end o the discharge port II, a compressible washer 5 is posi-A tioned about the plunger and in a housing formed '39, 4I, l2 and 45 may be compressed about the plunger and against the walls of the bore to the degree of tightness necessary to prevent leakage along the outer surface of the plunger i5 from the discharge port lI, the mechanism actuating port I2, and the remaining side of the low-pressure port I3.

In view of the above described arrangement, it is obvious that the replacement of one or more worn outcompressible washers is a simple matter since all the parts maybe easily and quickly removed from the bore in the casting.

The-compressible washers, 42, adjacent the ends of the spacer at the inner end of the mechanism actuating port I2, being relatively large, may be provided with notches 48 to make them more yielding in character.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A valve for hydraulic presses and the like comprising a casting having a longitudinal bore from which open in line and in the order named, a discharge port, a mechanism actuating port, a lowpressure port opening at its inner end into an annular groove dened by two xed walls, and a high-pressure port, a removable gland positioned at' each end of said bore, a tubular plunger having two sets of holes in the walls thereof mounted insaid bore and journaled in said glands, a spacer member positioned about said plunger at the inner end of said high-pressure port, a compressible member positioned about said plunger adjacent each end loi' said spacer member, a spacer positioned about said plunger at the inner end of said mechanism actuating port, a pair of compressible members and an intermediate nonyielding member positioned about said plunger between one end of said second mentioned spacer and the adjacent fixed wall, a spacer positioned about said plunger at the inner end of the discharge port, a pair of non-yielding members and an intermediate compressible member positioned about said plunger between one end of said third mentioned spacer and the adjacent end of the spacer at the inner end of the mechanism actuating port, a compressible member positioned between the other end of the spacer at the inner end of the discharg port and the adjacent gland, and means for reciprocating said plunger through said glands from one xed station to another and then back again, the distances between the two sets of holes in the plunger and the location and size of the annular grooves into which the ports open being such that as the plunger is reciprocated from one fixed station to the other and back again communication is established in the order named between the mechanism actuating port and the low-pressure port, the high-pressure port, the low-pressure port and ilnally the discharge port.

CLINTON BATEHOLTS. 

